The week had passed in a blur. Between csses, projects, and meetings, both Evan and Sienna had been caught up in their busy schedules. Tonight, though, they had finally carved out some time for themselves.

  The living room was dimly lit, the only source of light coming from the massive television screen in front of them. A sci-fi action movie pyed, its futuristic cityscape reflected faintly in the gss coffee table. Explosions and high-speed chases filled the room, but despite the intensity on screen, the atmosphere between them was anything but tense.

  Evan was stretched out on the couch, his back resting comfortably against the armrest. Sienna was curled up in his arms, her head resting against his chest as his fingers zily traced circles on her shoulder.

  The warmth of her body against his was calming, and though he had been the one to request this position, he could tell she was enjoying it just as much.

  Sienna let out a hum of amusement as she shifted slightly, looking up at him. “You’ve got some pretty girly tendencies, you know?”

  Evan raised a brow, momentarily pulling his eyes away from the screen. “Oh? And what makes you say that?”

  She smirked. “Well, let’s see… You like to take charge in bed, you’re the one who pulled me into your arms tonight, and you even take the lead on things more often than not. Even now, I bet you’re the one more invested in this movie.”

  Evan chuckled, his fingers lightly brushing against her arm. “So? I am who I am.”

  Sienna grinned. “You’re lucky I find it endearing.”

  A slow warmth spread through Evan’s chest. He knew she was teasing, but in this world, "girly" didn’t mean weak—it meant assertive, confident, capable. And the fact that Sienna found those traits attractive? Well, that was just the cherry on top.

  He scoffed pyfully but didn’t deny it. Instead, he tightened his hold around her, letting his hand trail up to cup the back of her neck. He leaned in, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to her forehead, making her sigh softly against him.

  Yeah, he liked the sound of that.

  The conversation drifted into easy topics—compints about coursework, funny incidents from the week, and an upcoming project Sienna was dealing with. Somewhere in between, their casual touches turned into something deeper.

  It started with a soft kiss, slow and teasing. Then another. Soon, Sienna was tilting her head to deepen it, her fingers running through his hair as Evan pulled her closer. His heart pounded as her lips moved against his, heat curling in his stomach. The way she kissed—confident, assertive—always did something to him.

  But as much as he wanted to let things escate, a sliver of awareness lingered at the back of his mind.

  Anyone could walk in. Their parents were still awake somewhere in the house, and the st thing he wanted was to be interrupted in the middle of something like this.

  Reluctantly, he pulled back, his breathing slightly uneven. Sienna, catching on immediately, smirked but didn’t push. Instead, she pressed a lingering kiss to his jaw before leaning back against him, her body rexing into his.

  The movie pyed on, its final scenes unfolding in a quiet lull.

  At some point, Sienna murmured, almost absently, “You know… things would be easier with a bit more privacy.”

  Evan gnced at her, her tone light, almost casual—almost.

  “Yeah?” he said, matching her ease.

  She hummed in response, her fingers idly tracing along his forearm.

  She didn’t say anything more, and Evan didn’t ask. But as the credits began to roll, the thought lingered, settling quietly in the back of his mind.

  ***

  The next day, Evan arrived at the robotics club brimming with excitement. Today was the day—their first official demonstration of the bellhop robot. After weeks of pnning, designing, and troubleshooting, they were finally ready to test its autonomous movement in a controlled environment.

  The b buzzed with energy. Screens glowed with lines of code, students double-checked sensors, and tools clicked as st-minute adjustments were made. At the center of it all stood their creation—a sleek, compact robot designed to transport small items across hotel floors. It had a ptform system meant to ensure smooth and efficient deliveries.

  Evan spotted Finn hunched over a tablet, his fingers fidgeting as he reviewed the navigation algorithm. “How’s it looking?” Evan asked, stepping beside him.

  Finn gnced up, his blue eyes bright with excitement but tinged with nervousness. “It should be good. We ran multiple simutions, and everything checked out.” He paused, biting his lip. “Hopefully, no surprises.”

  Evan chuckled. “Yup, let’s hope for the best.”

  A few minutes ter, the team gathered around as their faculty advisor, Professor Patel, arrived. She was a middle-aged woman with a calm presence, her gsses perched on her nose as she took in the setup. “Alright, let’s see what you guys have been up to,” she said, her tone light but expectant.

  Amelia, one of the senior members who had been instrumental in fine-tuning the bot’s programming, nodded and keyed in the command. The robot whirred to life, rolling forward smoothly as it began its pre-programmed path. The students watched in tense anticipation.

  It maneuvered around the first obstacle with precision, its sensors adjusting as expected. The pickup station was just ahead. All it had to do was stop, align properly, and lift the tray onto its ptform.

  The bot slowed, hovered in pce for a moment… then did nothing.

  The silence stretched uncomfortably.

  Finn frowned, his fingers flying across the tablet. “Hold on, it should—”

  Without warning, the robot jerked forward too fast. Instead of slowly extending the ptform like it was supposed to, it knocked into the tray and sent it cttering onto the floor.

  A sharp exhale came from Amelia. Her jaw tightened as she ran a hand through her tied-back hair. “Are you kidding me?” she muttered under her breath.

  Professor Patel, however, remained unbothered. She crossed her arms and nodded thoughtfully. “This happens. Prototypes rarely perform perfectly in their first live test.”

  Amelia exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair as she turned away for a second. When she spoke again, her voice was tight, edged with something beyond just irritation.

  “This isn’t just some random glitch. We don’t have the luxury of time to keep messing up like this,” she muttered. Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, and Evan noticed the way her fingers dug into her sleeves. “The university gave us funding, sure, but we have to prove we can deliver. We’re supposed to have something presentable before the deadline, and right now, it looks like I can’t even get the most basic function right.”

  Evan’s instinct was to reassure her, to say it wasn’t as bad as she thought. But before he could, she exhaled sharply again, shaking her head.

  “And of course, everyone else’s part worked fine.” Her lips pressed into a thin line as her gaze flicked toward the other team members. “The commands, the sensors, the movement path—all good. But mine?” She let out a humorless chuckle. “Mine’s the one that screwed up in front of everyone.”

  The way she said it made something click in Evan’s mind. She wasn’t just mad at the mistake—she was embarrassed. The bot’s failure felt personal to her, like it was a reflection of her skills rather than just a technical hiccup.

  “It’s alright—” Evan started, but before he could get another word in, Amelia turned to him, her voice sharper than she probably meant it to be.

  “And now, I have to listen to you try to make it better?” There was no real accusation in her tone, but the way her frustration spilled over made it sting.

  Evan’s mouth shut before he could offer whatever weak attempt at comfort he was about to make. He wasn’t even sure if she was truly upset with him or if he’d just been standing in the wrong pce at the wrong time.

  “I just—ugh. Forget it.” She ran a hand through her hair, frustration evident. “I didn’t mean to yell at you, I’m just—this was my part, and it failed while everything else worked. And now we’re wasting time we don’t have.”

  Evan stayed quiet, letting her vent. He knew she wasn’t looking for an argument—just an outlet.

  Finn, ever the peacemaker, stepped in hesitantly. “Amelia, take a deep breath… We can troubleshoot it right now. It’s probably just a minor script issue.” His voice was soft, cautious, as if one wrong word would set her off again.

  Amelia sighed, rubbing at her temple. Some of the fight had drained out of her, but the frustration was still there, simmering beneath the surface. She wasn’t looking for an argument—just an outlet. And Evan, unfortunately, had been the closest one.

  “Yeah,” she muttered after a pause. “Let’s just fix it.”

  The tension didn’t vanish completely, but the moment passed, and the team moved back into work mode. Evan let out a quiet breath, resisting the urge to rub the back of his neck. He wasn’t exactly offended, but damn, that had been unexpected.

  He made a mental note to avoid standing too close to Amelia the next time things went south.

  The tension lingered, but work resumed. The bot would be fixed, and the demo would continue. But as Evan sat back, watching his teammates work, he realized that no matter how much progress they made, there would always be setbacks.